Bow-eautiful things

Outfit Details:
Dress: Topshop from Incu in Sydney
Jacket: City Chic
Boots: Forever New
Bag: Gift from my Mum
Bow: Hopeless Hotel from Dagmar Roussete
Bangle: Ishka

How good is new stuff? Makes an old fave outfit all that much better when you add new things to the mix. The boots are the new ones from Forever New that I blogged about in my last post, and in Melbourne's recent rainy weather they have been a total godsend. $109.95 well spent if you ask me. When I first saw the price I thought gee wiz that's a bit pricey for Forever New, but then I thought "um Hayley the whole of 2009 you spent like no money on anything because you were flat broke and now you have some money you are allowed to go crazy for a while, ha". So yes $109.95 is "going crazy" for me so don't expect to see me in Acne wedges anytime soon (a girl can dream though can't she?).

The other new stuff is the awesome black asymmetrical collared blazer from City Chic. Now as a blogger with a semi large following there are a few perks that come with the territory. I'm talking gifts. So yes, the blazer was a gift from City Chic who have also hired me as their resident blogger and stylist. The blog isn't up yet but should be this week which is really really exciting, its all been in the works since November, with my Sydney trip also being a business trip with a meeting at City Chic's head office. So happy I can finally tell you all, its been so hard to keep it secret for so long.



Another thing that happens when your a "semi famous" blogger is meeting "fans" on the street which is all kinds of embarrassing but fun too. Its so weird when people recognise me because, to me I'm just me if you know what I mean. I really never wanted to be famous or anything, not that I am really, but I really don't think I am all that exciting. As Henry says he just doesn't get why people read my blog (gee thanks Henry, ha). It was never meant to be like this but I am so so so grateful that it is because, well its so much fun. I do love blogging and meeting readers and all the opportunities my blog has offered me. Take for instance the above "fan photo", well it was taken on my new NokiaN97 that I was sent to test out which has meant that I can twitpic from anywhere and constantly check my emails while out on the town which is so so so handy especially when organising shoots like I have been this week. I'm going to do a proper review of the phone in another post though. The point of this was today I met the lovely Anna and Rachael while at the Vic Market with Henry and it made my day. Thanks for saying hi and it gave me an idea, from now on if people do say hi I'm going to take photos and make a monthly collage to share. I've been trying to work out what to do when people say hi, Henry joked that I should carry signed photographs, but um no that's not happening, and a friend suggested giving out lollypops but that could get annoying so yeah a photo to share on here. Is that a good idea?

Today I finally went down to Dagmar Roussete in Brunswick which I've been meaning to visit forever and finally managed to do so. I'm sourcing for a shoot and Julia was so helpful, I picked up some amazing pieces. The store is a treasure trove of fresh fun and cute things, just take a look at my photos. Oh and the giant bow I'm wearing is from there too.


Such a cute window display.




Lots of awesome clothes by designers like Limedrop, Donna Sgro and Hopeless Hotel.


Beautiful Julia in her store wearing a top by Donna Sgro. Oh an look bows in other colours, kawaii.


Love this crafty medical dummy.


My friend Cassie n Sydney would die for this. She has a "burger corner" in her room with kawaii burger sofites and the like proudly displayed. Why are burgers so cute when plush?


Amazing jewellery for sale. I love the resin animal rings, they are so cute its almost painful.

Dagmar Rousset is at 343 Sydney Road in Brunswick. Check out the online store too.
Going to Brunswick made me want to move back there. Growing up in the area it was nothing like it is today. Sure there are still a few remnants of that time, namely the crazies like the guy today who told me my glasses make me look like a kangaroo (was not wearing bow at the time, no idea how my glasses could possibly make me even remotely resemble a kangaroo but I took it as a compliment, ha), but boy yeah there are some cute shops and nice cafe's down that way now, and the crazies just make it all the more fun.

Been Super Duper Busy!

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Holy moly I'm busy at the moment. Freelancing work has picked up beyond anything I've ever done before (um so many cool things coming up, can't wait to share it with you) AND I'm working full time in a call centre, effectively I'm earning and working the equivalent of 2 full time jobs, which is great except I have no time to blog or even shop to spend that money, ha, which is great for my savings for Tokyo but not my personal life. It will all be over soon, which is great, haven't worked in a call centre or a "normal job" in over a year so its been a bit of a shock to the system and I can't say I want to do it ever again, jeez those places are mind numbingly boring. I'm 99% sure no one knows who I am or reads my blog at work, which is good, even if they have been reading Cleo magazine right beside me I've bit my tongue (thank god there is no photo of me!). I just want to work, get the cashola and get the heck outta there, ha.

BTW this is the most honest I've been on my blog in a long long time. I miss being able to talk openly about my life and decisions, but as my blog has got more and more popular I have had to really assess what I do and don't say on here, but I do know that's why people read it in the first place, it was honest. So maybe I'm gonna be more honest and open again, I don't know. My blog used to be so cathartic for me to write on, and I miss that. However I'm still holding back a little. Maybe I need a private blog? You know my mum and mother in law both read my blog so I can't really bitch about Henry (not that I want to) or anything. I've noticed other bloggers starting private blogs so maybe I'll follow suit, but I can't even blog regularly on this one so maybe I wont. Ok just going round in circles now.

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So my second week of styling the "look of the week" over at The Vine is up. This week is all about beach to bar, which is appropriate for the weather we have had this weekend. Check it out and tell me what you think. Alicia from Sea of Ghosts was my model once again, she rocked it hard this week. The above boots are from Forever New for $109.95, and after this shoot I had to buy them for myself. Gonna be perfect in Tokyo.



So to choose the WINNER of the Stolen Thunder comp I asked Henry to pick a number from 1 through to 85....and he chose 84 which made my counting job easy as its the 2nd last commenter, L Y D. Congratulations, please email me your name and address and I'll send you the necklace right away. Thanks so much to everyone who entered, reading all your comments about what you collected was really fun. So many of you actually collect Babushka dolls! I'm just sorry there isn't a prize for everyone of you. Luckily there will be more comps soon. xoxo

Music Festival Fashion for The Vine

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With The Big Day Out making its way around the country Festival Fashion is on everyone's mind. Whether your going to the Big Day Out or the Laneway Festival this year, this outfit is sure to take you from mosh pit to the secret after party with no fuss.

To see more of the shoot I styled and photographed! head over to The Vine. Alicia from Sea of Ghosts was my lovely model. How gorgeous does she look? We had a lot of fun at the shoot, thats for sure.

Please let me know what you think xoxo

Win a Babushka necklace by Stolen Thunder

I love Babushka dolls, and can spend hours looking at them at that Babushka doll shop in the Royal Arcade (yes there is a shop that only sells Babushka dolls!) I even have a Babushka doll bedspread! So when I was sent this Russian doll family necklace from the people over at Stolen Thunder in England I was very very excited. First of all their stuff is handmade, which I love, secondly its all so cute! You really should check out the sale stuff too, so good (um hello £1.50 cocktail rings, you can buy 1 for every finger!).

As much as I love the necklace I feel that its not fair that I get to have all the fun, so I have decided to give it away to 1 lucky reader, as I really appreciate all of you for taking the time and reading my blog.

To WIN just leave a comment on this post with an answer to:
What, if anything, is it that you collect?

I collect anything red for the home, hence the red Babushka dolls. So our whole house is full of red stuff such as red vases, red plates, red cups, red Kokeshi dolls, a red retro mix master, a red sofa etc... it all gets a bit much really. I have discovered there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, but I can't stop.

The winner will be drawn at random on Sunday 31st January and you are in the running as long as you answer the question in the comments section on this post. International readers can enter too.

Good luck xxx

Cleo

Interview with yours truly in this months Cleo magazine. I've been so excited about this for a while. I love getting recognised for my work and not what I wear, as its what I'm most proud of. It is funny that my street fashion photography, that I started doing nearly 10 years ago now, is what gives me the most recognition rather than my styling? I guess it takes a while for anything to take off, and I've only really been styling for a little over a year now and it is slowly taking off which is exciting. I seriously have to pinch myself occasionally because I'm living my dream.

They also interviewed Emma from Dropstitch, Fernando from Fernandofrisoni and Paul-Simon from Kahlanswardrobe and I noticed something, all of us are stylists and/or designers as well. I guess it shows we have the eye for style and design, and for me it was never about the photgraphy, even though I studied photography at University, it has always been about the style. Sure my photography has improved but I'm not really interested in that side of things. I really like how Fernando said in his interview that it was almost offensive to be compared to Scott Schuman of The Satorialist as I completly agree, and I don't even think he is a talented photographer (shhhh, omg did she say it, omg yes she said it, ha). Fernando says

"Some call me the Scott Schuman of Australia, but I don't take that as a compliment. I started way before Schuman and I like to take pictures of real street wear. I like the challenge of finding an image with a raw or creative element to it. It's quite easy to be in Paris, outside a Galliano show, and take a picture of a fashion editor, but is it real street style? My inspiration is the real people who take a bus to work"

I agree 100% with this statement. It is just so b.o.r.i.n.g "oh wow look at Carrine Rotfield in a loaned outfit from the fashion cupboard at Vogue Paris wearing the shoes that just walked down the runway" its not REAL and I find it all so dull and have never really understood the appeal.

There are so many street photogrphers around the world now, but I feel that people keep forgetting the original (and the best), Shoichi Aoki the creator of Fruits magazine. We all owe so much to him and I feel he doesn't get enough praise. I'm sure that without Shoichi there would be no Scott, Yvan or heck even me, out there snapping away.

Thanks Cleo for being one of the 1st Australian media outlets to finally recognise home grown street fashion photographers and for basically making my day/week/year xxx

Red faces

Still no tripod so still have Henry take my photos. This causes so much strain on our relationship that I'm pretty sure if I ever ask him to do it again it will end in us getting a divorce. Seriously need to get a tripod ASAP. Anyway this photo was taken on our way out to dinner earlier this week on one of those hot 40 degree days hence the red face and shiny sweaty complexion. See everything is stacked up against this photo that I kinda don't want to post it, my fringe needs to be trimmed, I have an angry face, it was hot so I'm a bit red. However the outfit was so good that it makes up for all that (I hope). I bought the floral crop that day from Sportsgirl on sale for $20 and wanted to wear it right away. You may remember it from when I used it in one of my looks for the Sportsgirl stylist comp, I've wanted it since then and it finally went on sale, woohoo. I never pay full price for anything.

Oufit details:
Floral crop top: Sportsgirl on sale for $20
Black 3/4 length top: Cotton On on sale for $10
Black stud skirt: Sussan on sale for $40
Leggings: Kinji in Tokyo $9
Wedges: Urban Outfitters on 1/2 price sale $70Aud
Vintage chain bag: Savers $2.99

Sandcastles

I was lucky enough be invited to Sandcastles festival last weekend in St Kilda for a few different work projects, one of which was to see my Miami Horror costumes on stage.


After watching them perform I realised some adjustments will need to be made to them (this was the first time I saw them on in person, other than on Ben, there were no fittings or test runs for the other memebers) but the band are happy with them and that's all the matters.


So happy that Ben wears the necklace I made all the time! Maybe I should sell them on Etsy?


My sister was very excited to meet Bangs of "Take u to da movies" fame.


I on the other hand was excited to meet Ronald from Neon Indian...not because of his music (which I really enjoyed) but because he is friends with Jane Aldridge of Sea of Shoes and was on her blog recently! I didn't talk to him about his music or anything other than her, ha, which I guess must have been a bit annoying for him. He did say he liked my Miami Horror costumes though, and would tell Jane about them, so maybe Urban Outfitters will be calling me next? Ha.

More photos from the day:


The backstage area was set up really nicely and we had free drinks all day, Henry loved it (a bit too much). It did suck that friends were on the other side of the fence though, but only a little, ha.


















Neon Indian performing.






Stereotypical festival photo, loves it xxx